233 Squadron was first
formed in
1918, when the Flights of the Royal Naval Air Service, later known as Coastal Command, were
being combined into Squadrons. Accordingly, numbers 407, 471, and
491 Flights were assigned to 233 Squadron. This arrangement was a little
confusing as each Flight had different aircraft which were suitable for
differing roles; until the end of the War, the seaplanes of 407 Flight hunted
U-Boats and protected Allied shipping in the Straits of Dover, whilst the
Sopwith Camels of 471 Flight protected 491's DH.9's as they searched for enemy
vessels off the Flanders coast. The Armistice brought about an end to 233
Squadron's all-too-brief life when, following a gradual reduction in strength,
it was disbanded on the 15th May 1919.

With the prospect of a
renewed conflict with Germany, 233 Squadron re-emerged at Tangmere in 1937,
commanded by Squadron Leader Wallis and equipped with Anson I aircraft, which
were to be used in the general reconnaissance role. Shortly before the
declaration of war, the Squadron, now based at Leuchers, began to acquire the
superior Lockheed Hudson I aircraft. This conversion was not completed until
October, so a number of Ansons were still in service during the first month of
the War when the Squadron commenced its new role of patrolling the North Sea.

Their primary task was
to locate enemy shipping attempting to enter the Atlantic via the waters between
Scotland and Norway, but from time to time their aircraft also laid mines and
flew anti-submarine sorties. In October, the Squadron formed "D"
Flight, which was equipped with Blenheim long-range fighters whose purpose was
to provide aerial cover for coastal convoys and fishing fleets, however after
only two months this unit was transferred to 254 Squadron. 233 Squadron was kept
busy until the end of 1939, flying an average of one hundred and thirty sorties
per month. In December, their search capability was enhanced when their aircraft
were equipped with ASV radar, and during that same month the Squadron had its
first engagement with the Luftwaffe, when one of its Hudsons exchanged fire with
an He-111 without a decisive result on either side.

Norway

Following the German
occupation of Norway in April 1940, Coastal Command were forced to increase
their patrols in that area, and as there were few British aircraft with
sufficient range to reach the Norwegian coast, 233 Squadron's Hudsons were used
as long-range fighters. Over the following months their aircraft were fitted
with additional firearms to make them more potent in thie role, to which they
were far from suited, yet one pilot at least felt confident enough in his
equipment to take on a passing Bf-110.

Patrolling the waters
around Denmark and Norway continued apace, and some of 233 Squadron's aircraft
were armed with bombs to attack airfields and warships; a very dangerous
occupation which led to some losses. Even so, in April 1940 the Squadron claimed
what is believed to have been the first British anti-shipping success when
"Rover" patrol damaged the 2,000 ton MV Theodor.

The
Atlantic

In August 1940, the Squadron was
relocated to Aldergrove so that they could escort convoys bound for Liverpool
and the Clyde, however their stay in Northern Ireland proved brief, and only a
month later they returned to Leuchers and their former duties over the North Sea
and the Baltic. On the 25th October 1940, three of 233 Squadron's Hudsons were on
an armed reconnaissance sortie when they sighted and attacked the German submarine, U-46,
off the coast of Norway. The U-Boat survived the experience, but it was
seriously damaged and returned to port.

On the 8th December, the Squadron returned to
Aldergrove on a more long-term basis. Their patrols over the Atlantic proved to
be much less eventful than those they had become accustomed to over the North
Sea, and it was not until May 1941 when their aircraft next made contact with
the enemy; Wing Commander E. C. Kidd's Hudson engaging and bringing down a
He-111. During the following month, 233 Squadron attacked and inflicted damage
on two U-Boats, and on th 23rd July, one of their aircraft shot down a Fw-200
Condor which was in the process of attacking a British convoy.

Gibraltar

On the 8th August 1941,
233 Squadron moved to St. Eval to carry out patrols of the Bay of Biscay.
Operations were considerably more lively here than they had been over the
Atlantic; within the first few weeks of their arrival the Squadron had damaged
an enemy ship and attacked four U-Boats, at the loss of a Hudson. In September,
a part of the Squadron, under the command of Squadron Leader Davey, left for
Gibraltar with orders to patrol the Portuguese coast and the Western
Mediterranean. Over time, all of the remainder of the Squadron were gradually
transferred here, leaving behind a detachment on Thorney Island.

In November, the
Gibraltar garrison attacked six U-Boats and also the docks at St. Nazaire. The
Squadron's first U-Boat kill came on the 1st May 1942, when Pilot Officer
Camacho began an attack on U-573 but seemingly did not inflict any damage. Later
in the day, Sergeant Brent spotted the same submarine and his subsequent attack
forced it to submerge, but, much to his surprise, it resurfaced only a minute
later and its crew signalled that they wished to surrender. Brent called for
assistance and returned to base, while the U-Boat later sank of the damage that
it had sustained.

In July 1942, the
detachment at Thorney Island was brought to Gibraltar and so ended the unwieldy
situation of having the Squadron split between two locations. Patrols
continued as usual, and towards the end of the year the Squadron provided cover
for Operation Torch, which saw the arrival of the combined British and American
1st Army in Morocco
and Algeria.

During the following
year the chief occupation of 233 Squadron was searching for enemy submarines,
but as contact with them was rare at this time a major part of their work was
now dedicated to meteorological flights. Even so March 1943 proved to be a busy
month where submarines were concerned, with the Squadron attacking no fewer than
six of them. On the 28th March, a Hudson from 48 Squadron attacked and damaged
U-77 before calling for assistance from 233 Squadron. Flying Officer Castell's
aircraft arrived on the scene and, in the face of accurate anti-aircraft fire
from the submarine, put in a depth-charge attack upon it and destroyed it; the
kill being accredited to both 48 and 233 Squadrons. On the 5th April, Flight
Sergeant Dalton damaged U-167 off the Canary Islands, and it is assumed this
this same vessel, for it was in a similar position, was sunk later in the day by
Flight Lieutenant Willits. Two days later, U-447 also went down under the
Squadron's fire.

Enemy air activity was still in evidence at this time and the Squadron
shot down at least two Fw-200 Condors during the summer months. Over the summer,
233 Squadron's Hudsons were also fitted with underwing rockets, and this
devastating new weapon was used to good effect on the 26th December when one of
their aircraft attacked and damaged U-667, after it had been spotted by a
Wellington bomber of 179 Squadron and highlighted with its Leigh Light.

Normandy

In February 1944, 233
Squadron returned to England and, in preparation for the D-Day landings, they
were transferred to Transport Command and their Hudsons were exchanged for
Dakotas. As it was expected that the Invasion would be launched in May, the
Squadron had very little time in which to become familiar with their new
aircraft and the role of supporting Airborne troops. To help them with this
task, in March they were given a Company of parachutists from the 1st Canadian
Parachute Battalion to train with, and during the following month they were
introduced to the art of glider towing. By the time the Invasion was imminent,
the Squadron was fully prepared and equipped with thirty Dakotas and also a
small number of Ansons.

All thirty of the
Dakotas flew to Normandy with the first lift on the 5th June 1944, six towing
gliders, the remainder carrying men of the 3rd Parachute Brigade. Although it
proved to be a scattered drop, owing to the pathfinders being dispersed and
unable to set up their beacons to accurately guide the aircraft to the drop
zone, it nevertheless went smoothly for 233 Squadron, although two of their
aircraft were lost, and a a further two were brought down on the following day
when the main glider lift of the 6th Airborne Division took place.

On the 13th June, two of
233 Squadron's Dakotas had the honour of being the first Allied aircraft to land
in France since the invasion, arriving on the B2 airstrip with two tons of
freight onboard. During the following months, the Squadron helped to support the
Battle for Normandy in this way by operating a five times daily shuttle service,
flying in supplies and equipment to France, and evacuating wounded on the return
flight. In addition, their aircraft also participated in several resupply drops
to the troops on the front line.

Arnhem

On the 17th September
1944, twenty-two Dakotas participated in the first lift of 1st Airborne Division
to their landing zones around Arnhem, each aircraft bringing in a Horsa glider
without loss. On the following day, sixteen of their aircraft brought in Horsas
and emerged similarly unscathed, but the resupply flights of the following days
cruelly exposed the slow-moving transport aircraft to enemy fire, and 233
Squadron lost three Dakotas on Wednesday 20th September, and another two days
later.

The
Rhine Crossing

Following their part in
Operation Market Garden, 233 Squadron reverted to their former task of flying freight
and wounded to and from France. Training with gliders resumed in earnest at the beginning of 1945 in preparation for Operation
Varsity; the second attempt to secure an airborne bridgehead across the Rhine, this time
using the British 6th and US 17th Airborne Divisions. Twenty-four of the
Squadron's Dakotas towed Horsas to their
landing zones on the first and only lift of this successful operation; no losses
are believed to have been sustained amongst the aircrews.

Once victory in Europe had been secured, the attention of the Airborne Forces
turned to Japan, and in August 1945, 233 Squadron were sent to Burma to support
any such operations in the region. Although Japan surrendered before an airborne
drop could be made, the Squadron's aircraft were nevertheless kept busy, flying
food and supplies to forward units in remote parts of the inaccessible jungle of
Burma.

233 Squadron's War came to an
end on the 15th December 1945, when it was amalgamated with 215 Squadron.
However it re-emerged in September 1960, again as a transport unit, operating
from Aden, in Yemen. The Squadron was finally disbanded on 31st January 1964.

The information contain
in this history has come from the article "No.233 Squadron Royal Air
Force", by Andrew Thomas. Thanks to Alan Hartley for his help.